History
by FishdontflyIdo
Summary: AU. Set in the 70s in NI. Ste is a new recruit for the IRA and Brendan has been asked to show him the ropes ;
1. Chapter 1

Brendan knew well the dangers of the IRA when he joined up. He wasn't scared because he wasn't scared of death. All he wanted to do was make Belfast a safe, secure and prosperous for his kids to live. He wanted the war over and won preferably so that Declan and Padraig wouldn't get roped in to the danger of the patriot game like he had. Brendan believed he could help, and make things better so that there were jobs for them all he wanted was for them to be happy. Although Brendan was high up in the rankings he rarely went on bomb missions. Partly because if the warning wasn't given early enough he would be responsible for innocents peoples deaths and partly because he didn't want to go to prison for his kids sake. Brendan was no coward though. He was heavily involved in the safety side of things. He spread warnings, protected streets when UVF and protestant gangs attacked and trained recruits on the best way to cause financial damage to a building without killing anyone.

Brendan had just heard tell from higher places that he would be training some new recruits for the next few weeks. He was to meet the recruits in a little village in the Mountains that spilled over the Donegal border into Derry.. Brendan set out in his car and drove up to the village where he was well known. There was a safe house within the village and the troops never dared to enter the district on foot. He would teach the recruits about rifles, bombs and safety. It sounded ridiculous but if they got closer to peace he didn't care.

The first of Brendan's recruits to arrive was a middle aged man, a few inches shorter than Brendan. He was quite plump but looked quite strong aswell. Next was a pair of brothers from both lean and young. Brendan almost felt sorry for them. He could already tell they were in it for the wrong reasons, because their parents had pumped their heads full of propaganda they were hear out of brain washing not choice and they were fighting for pride not peace. Others followed young and old, short, tall, fat, thin until Brendans recruits were 8 in total. Brendan assumed that all had arrived and began giving a talk on the importance of loyalty and silence during interrogation. 10 minnits in to the talk there was a knock at the door. Everyone fell silent and Brendan crept up to the door and looked through the peek hole. The glass was clouded and scratched and the figure was blurry but Brendan could see no police or army uniforms so opened the door. Standing in front of him was a skinny lad who looked about 19. He had a Tracksuit on and filthy trainers. He was slouched but about 3 inches shorter than Brendan.

"Hello, I'm Ste" said the boy in a mancunian accent.

"yeh and what do you want Steven?" Brendan replied.

"Well I'm a recruit aint I" the boy replied

Brendan laughed out loud. He could not possibly imagine that somebody expected him to train this young, skinny, innocent boy in to a soldier.

"You are kidding me"

"What's so funny" said Ste defensively

"nothing, nothing" Brendan said still giggling "We just don't get many English joining up"

"Well I have Irish blood and I've been taught wrong from right, ain't I" Ste replied

"Alright, fine come in." Brendan Said leading him in the meeting room.

"Everyone this is Steven" Brendan announced.

"Just Ste" Ste cut in

"Right, yes" Brendan continued "well sit down and we'll get on with this then"

Brendan carried on with the talk everyone listened intently the adrenaline seemed to make their eyes wider. All through the talk Brendan felt like Ste was watching him. This was of corse ridiculous because everyone was watching him. Ste's eyes opened wider at Brendan's more graphic descriptions of interrogation methods. Brendan felt guilty for teaching something so violent to someone so innocent. Brendan had never thought about it like that before. That he was corrupting minds. That he was taking away innocence. It was something he only felt with Steven When the talk was finished the men all went off to the pub to meet the villagers who they would be staying with. As Ste got up to leave Brendan called him over and waited for the others to leave.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he said in a low voice

"What? What are you on about?" said Ste

"You're young, you haven't lived yet, there's no shame in ducking out"

"I'm old enough, I have two kids and I want the world to be right for them"

Brendan ignored connection he felt when he heard Ste's reason for joining and consentrated on the shock of him having 2 kids.

"Jesus Steven, 2 kids!"

"yes, I'm 24"

"OK, OK then go back to them. Look after them, you have to be prepared to die if you fight"

"I am!' said Ste and I'm doing this for my kids. Stop picking on me, I'm staying"

With that Ste stormed out slamming the door and leaving Brendan to his thoughts. Brendan sighed in resignation. Defiance is normaly courageous or annoying but on Ste it looked kind of way his head shot up, his lips pouted and his eyes shone. Brendan pushed the thought deep in to the back of his mind and went to the pub to try and get rid of the butterflies in his stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

After drinking too much at the pub the previous night Brendan's head was painful. He just wanted to forget. He wanted to forget that he was causing death. He wanted to forget that the people he trained were going to cause death but most of all he wanted to forget that there was a high chance not all of the people he was training were going to survive the war. He had watched silently from a quiet corner of the pub as the younger lads (one in particular) laughed and drank like schoolboys drinking underage. He remembered how he tried to get as drunk as possible to numb the feeling in his stomach and groin when Steven's eyes met his. Steven had tried to start a staring competition with him from the other side of the room but there was no way Brendan was going to look away from those beautiful dark lashes, or those shining blue eyes. Eventually Steven had blushed and self consciously looked away so Brendan had won. Brendan always won. Brendan had told the recruits to be outside their houses' at 7.30 tomorrow morning in sports gear. Anyone late would be punished he had slurred. Before stumbling out the door and heading home.

The morning brought a hangover which was inconvenient because Brendan was planning on testing the recruits' fitness today. He decided that there was no chance of rescheduling. This was an organised force so there was no time for hangovers. Brendan made a strong coffee, took 2 Asprin. He grabbed the bag of uniforms that he would hand out to men who passed the fitness test. He dumped it in the back of the van and went driving around the neighbourhood to pick up the recruits. Each man was standing on their doorstep waiting for Brendan as he came and quickly jumped in to the back of the van. That is until they came to Steven's house. Brendan had waited only 30 seconds before one of the lads called from the back of the van

"do you want me to go wake him, Sir?"

Brendan almost said yes but changed his mind.

"No, I'll deal with this one myself"

Brendan marched up to the door and knocked. It was opened by Mrs Reilly who Steven was staying with and who was known for rising early.

"Good, Morning Mrs Reilly" Brendan said pleasantly "may I inquire as to which room is Steven's?"

"Upstairs on the right, love" She replied.

Brendan climbed up the stairs and found Ste's room. His door was slightly ajar. Steven was sleeping peacefully. He looked so beautiful. Brendan wanted nothing more than to climb in to the bed with him but he couldn't, this had to be formal and dealt with like it would in any other army.

Brendan said loudly "Private Hay!"

Steven's eyes half opened sleepily and he muttered "what?"

He looked so sexy. His hair was tousled and his face was paler than last night. His voice was low and went straight to Brendan's groin.

Ste suddenly realised who's voice it was that woke him and looked up to see Brendan staring at him.

"Shit" said Ste jumping up and grabbing some jogging bottoms. Brendan watched as Ste's tight black boxers disappeared underneath the gray tracksuit bottoms. Ste was rambling desperately

"listen, I know you said be awake, but I was drunk you see, and I forgot, and I'm sorry"

"Who do you think you're talking to? Steven" Brendan said trying to deal with the situation in a formal manner.

"What?" Said Ste looking at Brendan like just fallen from outer space.

"When addressing a Commanding Officer you will say Sir" Brendan stated

"Yes Sir. Sorry Sir" Spoke Ste like a true soldier.

"That's better. As for your punishment, I will deal with you later"

"Pardon Sir" inquired Ste who obviously though that because Brendan wasn't shouting he had got away with it.

"Well you didn't think I'd let you off did you? You've cost the whole unit 15 minutes. Hurry up now, don't waste anymore time."

"Yes Sir" Ste obeyed and followed him to the van.

Whilst driving the van up through the Village and to the training fields Brendan heard snippets of conversation from the back.

"Mate, what were you thinking?" One lad said.

"I, don't..." Ste started but before he could answer another lad cut in.

"More importantly what did he do to you?"

"Well, nothing yet, but he says he's gunna deal with me later so" Ste said.

"Ahh mate you're in the shit!" Said one of the men

"Yeh, they say that guy is a mad one" An older one cut in.

Brendan smiled, it was nice to see that his hard work had been recognised and he now had a notorious reputation. Brendan reached the training field and got the recruits out the van.

"Right." he said "I want you to line up according to what you think you fitness level is. Good here," he pointed.

"OK, here," he pointed again.

"and poor here," Pointing a final time.

The men shuffled around a bit, a few hovered between good and OK and finally they all stood still. In the good line were the younger guys who were confident and competitive. In the OK line there were the less confident guys and those who maybe carried a stone or two more than they should. In the poor line was all the middle aged, beer bellied men and to Brendan surprise, Steven. Brendan walked up to him and got right in his face.

"Private Hay?"

"Yes, Sir"

"What the hell do you think you are doing in this line?"

Ste thought for a second then lowered his head and said

"Sorry, Sir but I was never all that good at sport Sir, and I don't really go to the Gym or anything Sir, So..." Ste was rambling so Brendan decided to cut him off.

"So, you though you would take the easy option did you?"

Ste protested "No Sir, honestly..." But he was interrupted again by Brendan.

"You're as fit as a fiddle, you're coming with me" And with that Brendan grabbed Ste and roughly pushed him into the fittest category. Ste was quite flattered that Brendan thought he was fit. He had only ever been told that he was crap at everything. Brendan explained the route of each group's run and set a deadline time for every man to be back otherwise he would punish the whole unit. The groups set off. Brendan jogged just behind Ste. The two brothers had gone way ahead, racing each other for bragging rights. A man lingered ahead of them and one had couldn't keep up and had fallen way behind. Brendan of coarse could have gone faster but his head was still hurting and besides, he liked the view. Ste came to an abrupt stop and Brendan ploughed in to the back of him, his hands which he used to try and stop himself caught Ste's hips. Brendan stayed behind him for a moment longer than appropriate, breathing in his smell and feeling his hot sweaty, panting body pressed against his. Remembering where he was, and who he was brought Brendan quickly back to reality.

"What are you doing" He said, softer than he had aimed for.

"Well" Ste panted "I'm not used to this and I'm tired and too hot, I think I may just walk for a while"

Ste bent over trying to catch his breath. Brendan couldn't help himself and stared and the gasping, sweaty body that was bent over in front of him and all sorts of images flew in to his head. He snapped himself out of it and said.

"You need to push yourself, Steven, and if you're hot take of your shirt"

"Yes, Sir and if you don't mind Sir I won't. You see I don't want to be the only one" Said Ste getting ready to run again.

"Jaysus Steven" Said Brendan whipping off his own T-Shirt to reveal his muscular chest which shone due to the morning light reflecting off the pale skin and sweat. Ste stared and this didn't go unnoticed by Brendan. Brendan couldn't help but smile and decided he couldn't resist a bit of harmless flirting.

"See something you like?"

"What?" replied Ste half in horror, half in confusion.

"What?" Mimicked Brendan instantaneously in mock confusion.

Ste and ran off at a faster pace. Brendan was rather disappointed that Ste hadn't taken off his shirt but carried on jogging behind him watching his arse bob as he ran. At the end of the run Brendan gathered the men round and had said how as they had all finished within the allotted time nobody would be getting punished except Steven. Ste looked like he had forgotten and was rather disappointed when Brendan reminded him. The day continued with press ups, sit-ups, and generally anything that got Ste in to a position where Brendan could admire his flexibility. Of course Brendan chose Ste as his exercise partner and so got to hold Ste's feet while he was doing sit-ups. Well, he was meant to be holding his feet but his hands snuck up to his thighs, insisting that he got a better grip that way. Brendan had the feeling all day that there was an itch that needed scratching.

**;) relief from certain itches comes to those who wait.**


End file.
